To the Bishops of Egypt.
————————————
Chapter I.
1. Christ warned His followers against false
prophets.
All things whatsoever
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as Luke wrote, ‘both hath done
and taught1147
,’ He effected after having
appeared for our
salvation; for He came, as John saith, ‘not to
condemn the
world, but that the
world through Him might be
saved1148
.’ And among the
rest we have
especially to admire this instance of His
goodness, that He was not
silent concerning those who should
fight against us, but plainly told
us beforehand, that, when those things should come to pass, we might
straightway be found with minds established by His teaching. For He
said, ‘There shall arise false
prophets and false Christs, and
shall shew great
signs and
wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible,
the very
elect shall be
deceived. Behold, I have told you before
1149
.’ Manifold indeed and beyond human
conception are the
instructions and
gifts of
grace which He has laid up
in us; as the pattern of heavenly conversation,
power against
demons,
the
adoption of sons, and that exceeding great and singular
grace, the
knowledge of the
Father and of the Word Himself, and the
gift of the
Holy
Ghost. But the
mind of man is prone to
evil exceedingly; moreover,
our
adversary the
devil, envying us the possession of such great
blessings, goeth about seeking to
snatch away the
seed of the word
which is sown within us. Wherefore as if by His prophetic warnings He
would seal up His
instructions in our
hearts as His own
peculiar
treasure, the
Lord said, ‘Take heed that no man
deceive you: for
many shall come in My name, saying, I am he; and the time draweth near;
and they shall
deceive many: go ye not therefore after them
1150
.’ This is a great
gift which the Word
has bestowed upon us, that we should not be
deceived by appearances,
but that, howsoever these things are concealed, we should all the more
distinguish them by the
grace of the Spirit. For whereas the
inventor
of
wickedness and great spirit of
evil, the
devil, is utterly
hateful,
and as soon as he shews himself is
rejected1151
| 1151 βάλλεται, vid. p. 170, note 6. |
of
all men,—as a
serpent, as a
dragon, as a
lion seeking whom he may
seize upon and
devour,—therefore he conceals and covers what he
really is, and craftily personates that Name which all men desire, so
that deceiving by a false
appearance, he may thenceforth
fix fast in
his own
chains those whom he has led
astray. And as if one that desired
to kidnap the
children of others during the absence of their
parents,
should personate their
appearance, and so putting a cheat on the
affections of the
offspring, should carry them
far away and
destroy
them; in like manner this
evil and wily spirit the
devil, having no
confidence in himself, and knowing the
love which men bear to the
truth, personates its
appearance, and so spreads his own
poison among
those that follow after him.
2. Satan pretending to be holy, is detected by
the Christian.
Thus he deceived Eve, not speaking his own, but
artfully adopting the words of God, and perverting their meaning. Thus
he suggested evil to the wife of Job, persuading her to feign affection
for her husband, while he taught her to blaspheme God. Thus does the
crafty spirit mock men by false displays, deluding and drawing each
into his own pit of wickedness. When of old he deceived the first man
Adam, thinking that through him he should have all men subject unto
him, he exulted with great boldness and said, ‘My hand hath found
as a nest the riches of the people; and as one gathereth eggs that are
left, have I gathered all the earth; and there is none that shall
escape me or speak against me1152
.’ But when the
Lord came upon
earth,
and the
enemy made
trial of His human
Economy, being unable to
deceive
the
flesh which He had taken upon Him, from that time forth he, who
promised himself the
occupation of the whole
world, is for His sake
mocked even by
children: that
proud one is mocked as a
sparrow1153
. For now the
infant child lays his
hand upon
the
hole of the
asp, and laughs at him that
deceived Eve1154
; and all that rightly believe in the
Lord
tread under
foot him that said, ‘I will ascend above the heights
of the
clouds: I will be like the Most High
1155
.’ Thus he
suffers and is dishonoured;
and although he still ventures with shameless
confidence to
disguise
himself, yet now,
wretched spirit, he is detected the rather by them
that bear the Sign on their foreheads
1156
;
yea, more, he is
rejected of them, and is humbled, and put to
shame.
For even if, now that he is a creeping
serpent, he shall
transform
himself into an
angel of
light, yet his deception will not
profit him;
for we have been taught that ‘though an
angel from
heaven preach
unto us any other
gospel than that we have received, he is anathema
1157
.’
3. And although, again, he conceal his natural
falsehood, and pretend to speak truth with his lips; yet are we
‘not ignorant of his devices1158
,’ but
are able to answer him in the words spoken by the Spirit against him;
‘But unto the
ungodly, said
God, why dost thou
preach My
laws?’ and, ‘
Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a
sinner1159
.’ For even though he speak the
truth, the
deceiver is not worthy of credit. And whereas Scripture
shewed this, when relating his
wicked artifices against
Eve in
Paradise, so the
Lord also reproved him,—first in the mount, when
He laid open ‘the folds of his
breast-plate
1160
| 1160 Job xli. 13, v. 4.
LXX. and cf. Orat. i. 1, and Vit. Ant. supr. p. 197, note
15. |
,’ and shewed who the
crafty spirit
was, and
proved that it was not one of the
saints1161
| 1161 Or
sacred writers, ἁγίων. |
, but
Satan that was tempting Him. For He
said, ‘Get thee behind Me
Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt
worship the
Lord thy
God, and Him only shalt thou serve
1162
.’ And again, when He put a curb in the
mouths of the
demons that
cried after Him from the
tombs. For although
what they said was true, and they lied not then, saying, ‘Thou
art the Son of
God,’ and ‘the Holy One of
God1163
;’ yet He would not that the
truth
should proceed from an
unclean mouth, and especially from such as them,
lest under pretence thereof they should mingle with it their own
malicious
devices, and sow these also while men slept. Therefore He
suffered them not to speak such words, neither would He have us to
suffer such, but hath charged us by His own mouth, saying,
‘
Beware of false
prophets, which come to you in sheeps’
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves1164
;’ and by the mouth of His Holy
Apostles, ‘Believe not every spirit
1165
.’ Such is the method of our
adversary’s operations; and of the like
nature are all these
inventions of
heresies, each of which has for the
father of its own
device the
devil, who changed and became a murderer and a
liar from the
beginning. But being
ashamed to profess his
hateful name, they usurp
the glorious Name of our Saviour ‘which is above every name
1166
,’ and deck themselves out in the
language of Scripture, speaking indeed the words, but stealing away the
true meaning thereof; and so disguising by some artifice their false
inventions, they also become the murderers of those whom they have led
astray.
4. It profits not to receive part of
Scripture, and reject part.
For whence do Marcion and Manichæus receive
the Gospel while they reject the Law? For the New Testament arose out
of the Old, and bears witness to the Old; if then they reject this, how
can they receive what proceeds from it? Thus Paul was an Apostle of the
Gospel, ‘which God promised afore by His prophets in the holy
Scriptures1167
:’ and our
Lord Himself said,
‘ye search the Scriptures, for they are they which testify of
Me
1168
.’ How then shall they confess the
Lord
unless they first search the Scriptures which are written concerning
Him? And the
disciples say that they have found Him, ‘of whom
Moses and the
Prophets did
write1169
.’ And
what is the
Law to the
Sadducees if they receive not the
Prophets1170
| 1170 Vid.
Prideaux, Conn. ii. 5. (vol. 3, p. 474. ed. 1725). |
? For
God who gave the
Law, Himself
promised
in the
Law that He would raise up
Prophets also, so that the same is
Lord both of the
Law and of the
Prophets, and he that denies the one
must of necessity deny the other also. And again, what is the Old
Testament to the
Jews, unless they acknowledge the
Lord whose coming
was expected according to it? For had they believed the writings of
Moses, they would have believed the words of the
Lord; for He said,
‘He wrote of Me
1171
.’ Moreover,
what are the Scriptures to him
1172
| 1172 See
Prolegg. ch. ii. §3 (2) a. |
of Samosata, who
denies the Word of
God and His incarnate Presence
1173
, which is
signified and declared both in the Old and New Testament? And of what
use are the Scriptures to the Arians also, and why do they bring them
forward, men who say that the Word of
God is a creature, and like the
Gentiles ‘serve the creature more than’
God ‘the
Creator
1174
?’ Thus each of these
heresies,
in respect of the
peculiar impiety of its invention, has nothing in
common with the Scriptures. And their advocates are aware of this, that
the Scriptures are very much, or rather altogether, opposed to the
doctrines of every one of them; but for the sake of deceiving the more
simple sort (such as are those of whom it is written in the
Proverbs,
‘The simple believeth every word
1175
),’ they pretend like their
‘
father the
devil1176
’ to study and
to quote the
language of Scripture, in order that they may appear by
their words to have a right belief, and so may
persuade their
wretched
followers to believe what is contrary to the Scriptures. Assuredly in
every one of these
heresies the
devil has thus
disguised himself, and
has suggested to them words full of
craftiness. The
Lord spake
concerning them, that ‘there shall arise false Christs and false
prophets, so that they shall
deceive many
1177
.’ Accordingly the
devil has come,
speaking by each and saying, ‘I am
Christ, and the
truth is with
me;’ and he has made them, one and all, to be
liars like himself.
And
strange it is, that while all
heresies are at variance with one
another concerning the mischievous inventions which each has framed,
they are united together only by the common purpose of
lying1178
. For they have one and the same
father that
has sown in them all the
seeds, of
falsehood. Wherefore the
faithful
Christian and true
disciple of the
Gospel, having
grace to
discern
spiritual things, and having built the
house of his
faith upon a
rock,
stands continually firm and
secure from their deceits. But the simple
person, as I said before, that is not thoroughly grounded in
knowledge,
such an one, considering only the words that are spoken and not
perceiving their meaning, is immediately drawn away by their
wiles.
Wherefore it is good and needful for us to
pray that we may receive the
gift of
discerning spirits, so that every one may know, according to
the
precept of John, whom he ought to
reject, and whom to receive as
friends and of the same
faith. Now one might
write at great length
concerning these things, if one desired to go into details respecting
them; for the impiety and perverseness of
heresies will appear to be
manifold and various, and the
craft of the
deceivers to be very
terrible. But since holy Scripture is of all things most sufficient
1179
for us, therefore recommending to those who
desire to know more of these matters, to read the
Divine word, I now
hasten to set before you that which most claims attention, and for the
sake of which principally I have written these things.
5. Attempt of Arians to substitute a Creed for
the Nicene.
I heard during my sojourn in these parts1180
| 1180 [Probably Cyrenaica, see above, Introd. sub.
fin.] |
(and they were true and orthodox
brethren
that informed me), that certain professors of Arian opinions had met
together, and drawn a confession of
faith to their own liking, and that
they intend to send word to you, that you must either subscribe to what
pleases them, or rather to what the
devil has inspired them with, or in
case of refusal must
suffer banishment. They are indeed already
beginning to molest the
Bishops of these parts; and thereby are plainly
manifesting their disposition. For inasmuch as they frame this document
only for the purpose of inflicting banishment or other punishments,
what does such
conduct prove them to be, but
enemies of the
Christians,
and
friends of the
devil and his
angels? and especially since they
spread abroad what they like contrary to the
mind of that gracious
Prince, our most
religious Emperor Constantius
1181
| 1181 Cf.
§23, and Apol. Const. 32. |
.
And this they do with great
craftiness, and, as appears to me, chiefly
with two ends in view; first, that by obtaining your subscriptions,
they may seem to remove the
evil repute that rests upon the name of
Arius, and may
escape notice themselves as if not professing his
opinions; and again, that by putting forth these statements they may
cast a shade over the
Council of Nicæa
1182
,
and the confession of
faith which was then put forth against the Arian
heresy. But this proceeding does but
prove the more plainly their own
maliciousness and heterodoxy. For had they believed aright, they would
have been satisfied with the confession put forth at Nicæa by the
whole Ecumenic
Council; and had they considered themselves calumniated
and falsely called Arians, they ought not to have been so eager to
innovate upon what was written against Arius, lest what was directed
against him might seem to be aimed at them also. This, however, is not
the course they
pursue, but they
conduct the struggle in their own
behalf, just as if they were Arius. Observe how entirely they disregard
the
truth, and how everything they say and do is for the sake of the
Arian
heresy. For in that they
dare to
question those sound definitions of the
faith, and take upon
themselves to produce others contrary to them, what else do they but
accuse the Fathers, and stand up in defence of that
heresy which they
opposed and
protested against? And what they now
write proceeds not
from any regard for the
truth, as I said before, but rather they do it
as in mockery and by an artifice, for the purpose of deceiving men;
that by sending about their letters they may engage the
ears of the
people to listen to these notions, and so put off the time when they
will be brought to
trial; and that by concealing their impiety from
observation, they may have
room to extend their
heresy, which,
‘like a
gangrene1183
,’ eats its
way everywhere.
6. Accordingly they disturb and disorder
everything, and yet not even thus are they satisfied with their own
proceedings. For every year, as if they were going to draw up a
contract, they meet together and pretend to write about the faith,
whereby they expose themselves the more to ridicule and disgrace,
because their expositions are rejected, not by others, but by
themselves. For had they had any confidence in their previous
statements, they would not have desired to draw up others; nor again,
leaving these last, would they now have set down the one in question,
which no doubt true to their custom they will again alter, after a very
short interval, and as soon as they shall find a pretence for their
customary plotting against certain persons. For when they have a design
against any, then it is that they make a great show of writing about
the faith; that, as Pilate washed his hands, so they by writing may
destroy those who rightly believe in Christ, hoping that, as making
definitions about the faith, they may appear, as I have repeatedly
said, to be free from the charge of false doctrine. But they will not
be able to hide themselves, nor to escape; for they continually become
their own accusers even while they defend themselves. Justly so, since
instead of answering those who bring proof against them, they do but
persuade themselves to believe whatever they wish. And when is an
acquittal obtained, upon the criminal becoming his own judge? Hence it
is that they are always writing, and always altering their own previous
statements, and thus they shew an uncertain faith1184
,’ or rather a manifest
unbelief and
perverseness. And this, it appears to me, must needs be the case with
them; for since, having fallen away from the
truth, and desiring to
overthrow that sound confession of
faith which was drawn up at
Nicæa, they have, in the
language of Scripture, ‘
loved to
wander, and have not refrained their
feet1185
;’ therefore, like
Jerusalem of old,
they labour and toil in their changes, sometimes writing one thing, and
sometimes another, but only for the sake of gaining time, and that they
may continue
enemies of
Christ, and
deceivers of
mankind.
7. The party of Acacius really Arians.
Who, then, that has any real regard for truth,
will be willing to suffer these men any longer? who will not justly
reject their writing? who will not denounce their audacity, that being
but few1186
| 1186 Cf.
de Syn. 5, note. |
in number, they would have their
decisions to
prevail over everything, and as desiring the supremacy of
their own meetings, held in corners and suspicious in their
circumstances, would forcibly cancel the
decrees of an uncorrupt, pure,
and Ecumenic
Council? Men who have been promoted by Eusebius and his
fellows for advocating this Antichristian
heresy, venture to define
articles of
faith, and while they ought to be brought to
judgment as
criminals, like Caiaphas, they take upon themselves to
judge. They
compose a Thalia, and would have it received as a standard of
faith,
while they are not yet themselves determined what they believe. Who
does not know that Secundus
1187
| 1187 Cf.
de Syn. 12; Prolegg. ch. ii. §3 (1), &c. |
of Pentapolis, who
was several times degraded long ago, was received by them for the sake
of the Arian madness; and that George
1188
,
now of
Laodicea, and Leontius the
Eunuch, and before him Stephanus, and
Theodorus of Heraclea
1189
, were promoted by
them? Ursacius and Valens also, who from the first were
instructed by
Arius as young men
1190
| 1190 Supr.
p. 107, note 9. |
, though they had
been formerly degraded from the
Priesthood, afterwards got the title of
Bishops on account of their impiety; as did also Acacius, Patrophilus
1191
| 1191 Omitted supr. p. 123. |
, and Narcissus, who have been most forward
in all manner of impiety. These were degraded in the great Synod of
Sardica; Eustathius also now of Sebastea, Demophilus and Germinius
1192
, Eudoxius, and Basil, who are supporters of
that impiety, were advanced in the same manner. Of Cecropius
1193
| 1193 Of
Nicomedia, see D.C.B. s.v. |
, and him they called Auxentius, and of
Epictetus
1194
| 1194 Vid.
Hist. Ar. §74 fin. |
the
impostor, it were superfluous for
me to speak, since it is manifest to all men, in what manner, on what
pretexts, and by what
enemies of ours these were promoted, that they
might bring their false charges against the orthodox
Bishops who were
the objects of their designs. For although they resided at the distance
of eighty posts, and were unknown to the people, yet on the ground of
their impiety they
purchased for themselves the title of
Bishop. For
the same reason also they have
now
1195
hired one George of Cappadocia, whom they
wish to impose upon you. But no respect is due to him any more than to
the
rest; for there is a
report in these parts that he is not even a
Christian, but is
devoted to the
worship of
idols; and he has a
hangman’s temper
1196
. And this person,
such as he is described to be, they have taken into their ranks, that
they may be able to
injure, to plunder, and to
slay; for in these
things he is a great proficient, but is ignorant of the very
principles
of the
Christian faith.
8. Words are bad, though Scriptural, which
proceed from bad men.
Such are the machinations of these men against
the truth: but their designs are manifest to all the world, though they
attempt in ten thousand ways, like eels, to elude the grasp, and to
escape detection as enemies of Christ. Wherefore I beseech you, let no
one among you be deceived, no one seduced by them; rather, considering
that a sort of judaical impiety is invading the Christian faith, be ye
all zealous for the Lord; hold fast, every one, the faith we have
received from the Fathers, which they who assembled at Nicæa
recorded in writing, and endure not those who endeavour to innovate
thereon. And however they may write phrases out of the Scripture,
endure not their writings; however they may speak the language of the
orthodox, yet attend not to what they say; for they speak not with an
upright mind, but putting on such language like sheeps’ clothing,
in their hearts they think with Arius, after the manner of the devil,
who is the author of all heresies. For he too made use of the words of
Scripture, but was put to silence by our Saviour. For if he had indeed
meant them as he used them, he would not have fallen from heaven; but
now having fallen through his pride, he artfully dissembles in his
speech, and oftentimes maliciously endeavours to lead men astray by the
subtleties and sophistries of the Gentiles. Had these expositions of
theirs proceeded from the orthodox, from such as the great Confessor
Hosius, and Maximinus1197
of Gaul, or his
successor
1198
| 1198 Paulinus of Treveri, cf. supr. p. 130, note 10. |
, or from such as Philogonius and
Eustathius
1199
| 1199 At
Nicæa, as most of the others. |
,
Bishops of the East
1200
, or Julius and Liberius of
Rome, or Cyriacus
of Mœsia
1201
, or Pistus and
Aristæus of Greece, or Silvester and Protogenes of Dacia, or
Leontius and Eupsychius of Cappadocia, or Cæcilianus of Africa, or
Eustorgius of
Italy, or Capito of Sicily, or Macarius of
Jerusalem, or
Alexander of Constantinople, or Pæderos of Heraclea, or those
great
Bishops Meletius, Basil, and Longianus, and the
rest from Armenia
and
Pontus, or Lupus and Amphion from Cilicia, or James
1202
| 1202 [Of
Nisibis. See D.C.B. iii. p. 325 and foll.] |
and the
rest from
Mesopotamia, or our own
blessed Alexander, with others of the same opinions as
these;—there would then have been nothing to suspect in their
statements, for the character of apostolical men is sincere and
incapable of
fraud.
9. For such words do but serve as their
cloak.
But when they proceed from those who are hired to
advocate the cause of heresy, and since, according to the divine
proverb, ‘The words of the wicked are to lie in wait,’ and
‘The mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things,’ and
‘The counsels of the wicked are deceit1203
:’ it becomes us to watch and be sober,
brethren, as the
Lord has said, lest any deception arise from
subtlety
of
speech and
craftiness; lest any one come and pretend to say,
‘I
preach Christ,’ and after a little while he be found to
be
Antichrist. These indeed are
Antichrists, whosoever come to you in
the cause of the Arian madness. For what defect is there among you,
that any one need to come to you from without? Or, of what do the
Churches of Egypt and Libya and Alexandria stand so much in need, that
these men should make a
purchase1204
| 1204 Ap. ad Const. §28. Hist. Arian. §73,
supr. |
of the
Episcopate instead of
wood and goods, and intrude into
Churches which
do not
belong to them? Who is not aware, who does not perceive clearly,
that they do all this in order to support their impiety? Wherefore
although they should make themselves
dumb, or although they should
bind
on their
garments larger borders than the
Pharisees, and pour
themselves forth in long
speeches, and practise the tones of their
voice
1205
| 1205 Vid.
Basil. Ep. 223. 3. |
, they ought not to be believed; for it is
not the mode of speaking, but the intentions of the
heart and a godly
conversation that recommend the
faithful Christian. And thus the
Sadducees and Herodians, although they have the
law in their mouths,
were put to
rebuke by our Saviour, who said unto them, ‘Ye do
err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the
power of
God1206
:’ and all men witnessed the exposure
of those who pretended to quote the words of the
Law, as being in their
minds
heretics and
enemies of
God1207
. Others indeed
they
deceived by these professions, but when our
Lord became man they
were not able to
deceive Him; ‘for the Word was made
Flesh,’ who
‘knoweth the thoughts of men that they are
vain.’ Thus He
exposed the carping of the
Jews, saying, ‘If
God were your
Father, ye would
love Me, for I proceeded forth from the
Father, and am
come to you
1208
.’ In like manner these men seem
now to act; for they
disguise their real sentiments, and then make use
of the
language of Scripture for their writings, which they hold forth
as a bait for the ignorant, that they may inveigle them into their own
wickedness.
10. They ought first to condemn Arius, if they
are to be heard.
Consider, whether this be not so. If, when there
is no reason for their doing so, they write confessions of faith, it is
a superfluous, and perhaps also a mischievous proceeding, because, when
there is no enquiry, they offer occasion for controversy of words, and
unsettle the simple hearts of the brethren, disseminating among them
such notions as have never entered into their minds. And if they are
attempting to write a defence of themselves in regard to the Arian
heresy, they ought first to have removed the seeds of those evils which
have sprung up, and to have proscribed those who produced them, and
then in the room of former statements to set forth others which are
sound; or else let them openly vindicate the opinions of Arius, that
they may no longer covertly but openly shew themselves enemies of
Christ, and that all men may fly from them as from the face of a
serpent. But now they keep back those opinions, and for a pretence
write on other matters; just as if a surgeon, when summoned to attend a
person wounded and suffering, should upon coming in to him say not a
word concerning his wounds, but proceed to discourse about his sound
limbs. Such an one would be chargeable with utter stupidity, for saying
nothing on the matter for which he came, but discoursing on those other
points in which he was not needed. Yet just in the same manner these
men omit those matters which concern their heresy, and take upon
themselves to write on other subjects; whereas if they had any regard
for the Faith, or any love for Christ, they ought first to have removed
out of the way those blasphemous expressions uttered against Him, and
then in the room of them to speak and to write the sound words. But
this they neither do themselves, nor permit those that desire to do so,
whether it be from ignorance, or through craft and artifice.
11. No profit to do right in one way, if we do
wrong in another.
If they do this from ignorance they must be
charged with rashness, because they affirm positively concerning things
that they know not; but if they dissemble knowingly, their condemnation
is the greater, because while they overlook nothing in consulting for
their own interests, in writing about faith in our Lord they make a
mockery, and do anything rather than speak the truth; they keep back
those particulars respecting which their heresy is accused, and merely
bring forward the language of the Scriptures. Now this is a manifest
theft of the truth, and a practice full of all iniquity; and so I am
sure your piety will readily perceive it to be from the following
illustrations. No person being accused of adultery defends himself as
innocent of theft; nor would any one in prosecuting a charge of murder
suffer the accused parties to defend themselves by saying, ‘We
have not committed perjury, but have preserved the deposit which was
entrusted to us.’ This would be mere child’s play, instead
of a refutation of the charge and a demonstration of the truth. For
what has murder to do with a deposit, or adultery with theft? The vices
are indeed related to each other as proceeding from the same heart; yet
in respect to the refutation of an alleged offence, they have no
connection with each other. Accordingly as it is written in the Book of
Joshua1209
the son of Nun, when Achan was charged
with
theft, he did not excuse himself with the plea of his
zeal in the
wars; but being
convicted of the
offence was stoned by all the people.
And when
Saul was charged with negligence and a breach of the
law, he
did not benefit his cause by alleging his
conduct on other matters
1210
. For a defence on one
count will not operate
to obtain an acquittal on another
count; but if all things should be
done according to
law and
justice, a man must
defend himself in those
particulars wherein he is
accused, and must either disprove the past,
or else confess it with the
promise that he will desist, and do so no
more. But if he is
guilty of the
crime, and will not confess, but in
order to conceal the
truth speaks on other points instead of the one in
question, he shews plainly that he has acted
amiss, nay, and is
conscious of his delinquency. But what need of many words, seeing that
these persons are themselves accusers of the Arian
heresy? For since
they have not the
boldness to speak out, but conceal their blasphemous
expressions, it is plain that they know that this
heresy is separate and
alien from the
truth. But since they themselves conceal it and are afraid to speak, it
is necessary for me to strip off the
veil from their impiety, and to
expose the
heresy to public view, knowing as I do the statements which
Arius and his fellows formerly made, and how they were cast out of the
Church, and degraded from the Clergy. But here first I ask for pardon
1211
| 1211 Cf.
Orat. i. §25 note. |
of the foul words which I am about to
produce, since I use them, not because I thus think, but in order to
convict the heretics.
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